Hiatus + Yoga Lovin’
Hey everyone! Happy Tuesday 😀 Hope you’re having a good morning.
Hiatus
Ya’ll know this already if you’re a twitter friend, and it’s a giant bummer, but I’m going to take two full weeks off from cardio and leg work. My knee is still yelling at me and after a pep talk with two trainers I love and respect, we decided that this is what I need to do.
The funny thing is, at Wizzle the other night, I saw another V-town trainer (we only have a handful of trainers here and all know each other) in front of me in line. In his cart, he had frosted mini wheats, Pringles, parm cheese in a container, SODA, and other processed and junky goodies. Unintentionally, in my mind I judged a little… I thought to myself “How can you eat that stuff and then try to teach your clients to eat well and live healthy lives?”
When in reality, I’m kind of doing the same thing.
If one of my clients came up to me and said their knee was bothering them after a half marathon, the first thing I would say is: two weeks of nothing. Take this time off to let your body heal, focus on your eats and come back in full swing.
Well, I haven’t done that that.
I took it “easy” the week after the half marathon, taught Zumba last week, did full cardio on top of weights, now my knee hates me slightly more than it did last week. I turned a one-week injury into a two-week injury, which will now become a month injury as I let myself heal.
The reality check was this morning, when Ron asked me if I wanted to turn this two-week injury into a *life* injury. You don’t mess around with your knees, and once you have knee probs, they can stick with you for the long haul. He said, and I quote, “Dude, your knee is sending a signal to your brain that something isn’t right. You can either keep pushing along and make it worse or rest for two weeks and be able to get back into your routine.”
He’s right. I knew this all along and it’s time for me to actually *do it*. I’m going to miss Zumba, I’m sad that I can’t run the 10k this weekend, and I feel kind of cranky and like a lard already. It’s time for me to stop thinking I’m a superhero and let my body do it’s thang. At least I got in some awesome power yoga classes this weekend 😉
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Yoga Lovin
As ya’ll know, I love me some yoga. It helps to quiet my frantic mind, gives me a killer workout and helps me tone muscles that I’ve never seen before. When I’m not injured, you can find me in crow pose…
Or dancer
And my downward facing fun children 😀
One of my favorite ways to get some yoga in my life since we don’t have a yoga studio here, is to do podcasts from YogaDownload.com. They’re perfect for traveling and I’ve done podcasts in Cali, Gatlinburg, Atlanta and Orlando to sneak in quick and effective workouts 🙂
I usually roll with the intense power yoga classes (Power Yoga #3 and #4 are my favorites), but will take this hiatus as a chance to try meditative and restorative classes.
I’ve always purchased the yoga podcasts from YogaDownload.com with my own money, and have written about them quite a few times. There are SO many types of podcasts to choose from, printable pose guides (so you can know in advance what the class will consist of) and they now have video podcasts as well.
Well the lovely (and generous) friends at YogaDownload.com have been so kind to offer:
–ALL Fitnessistas a 30% off discount on their purchases at YogaDownload.com for the rest of March– all you have to do is enter the coupon code “Fitnessista” at checkout. This code can be used as many times as you like! SAWEET!!!!
–One very lucky Fitnessista will get a year unlimited subscription to YogaDownload.com. As many yoga downloads as you like, for an entire year, for free. How amazing is that?!?
To enter for the year subscription, all you have to do is leave a comment with what your favorite yoga pose is. Winner will be chosen tonight at midnight via pilot random number generator.
Namaste,
Gina
Good luck with the knee injury! Time off can only help : )
My fiance & I just started doing yoga about a month ago and I’m starting to love it. My favorite pose so far would have to be the downward facing dog because we learned it in the very beginning and are finally starting to master it!
you are sooo smart for taking 2 weeks off and preventing something that could stick around for awhile from cropping up!
and my fav pose is pigeon. it just feels sooooooo good. 🙂
Sorry about your knee and hope it heals quickly! I really love yoga although I have yet to take a class. I use Yogaworks dvd’s and Biggest Loser’s Weight loss yoga. My favorite pose would have to be twisting triangle and also child’s pose. I love how yoga has taken away my lower back pain and improved my posture. And thanks for the great giveaway!
My favorite pose is in Bikram Yoga – standing bow pulling pose! It requires so much concentration and balance but is such a great stretch.
It’s so hard to pick a favorite pose, but I’d say pigeon, it’s such a good hip stretch after running!
Good luck with your break – I am sure it will be hard but I totally admire you for taking a break. (I would be going nuts, as I’m sure you will be! The time will fly!) I’m sure your knee will be 100% afterward!
I love bridge pose! It opens up my hips, I feel strong, and my back feels great afterwards. It would be really fun to try the yoga downloads!
I’m glad to hear you are taking some time off! I think you are doing yourself a favor in the long run and setting a great example! 🙂
My favorite pose is dancer. It streches my back and leg so well…I feel great each time I do that pose.
dancer pose! it makes me feel so prettyyyy 🙂
oooh pigeon….the IT band hates me for a minute then starts LOVING me…
hehe
I am a beginner so I would have to say bird of paradise because it is one challenge pose I can actually do 😉 I also like pigeon pose. Good luck with your knee!
They just started a yoga class at my work so now I don’t even have to leave my building to get in some yoga!
I used to hate downward facing dog until I finally started doing it correctly! It’s now my favorite!
good luck with your time off, buddy!! it’s gonna be frustrating at times but YOU CAN DO IT (said like rob schneider in the waterboy)!! woo woo!
Gah!!! I love yogadownload.com. My favorite workout is Morning Flow #1..it seriously makes me feel amazing all. day. long. I would say my favorite pose is shoulder stand.
I hope that your recovery goes quickly and I know you will be back at it in no time! I had to take 3 weeks off after my recent tonsil surgery and know how hard it can be, I couldn’t even do yoga though. Glad you have realized how important this time is for healing and just think of how much more refined your yoga practice will be after these 2 weeks! You will be a yoga-ista perhaps? 😉
Chaturanga is my favorite yoga pose – guess it’s more of a “move” but whatevs, I love it!
my favorite yoga pose is anahatasana (http://www.yinyoga.com/ys2_2.0_asanas_anahatasana.php) it is an excellent shoulder opener and my cat is exceptionally good at it!
My favorite pose is warrior pose!
I can’t decide on my favorite yoga pose. It’s a tie between plow and half pigeon. Love them both!!!
My favourite has always been Tree – always gives me a feeling of groundedness and is lots of fun to do with a partner!
My favorite poses are Warrior 1 & 2. Those were the first ones that I felt like I actually mastered!
I LOVE yogadownload.com! My favorite pose is definitely forward bend with ragdoll arms. It’s such a good stretch for my back. Plow pose is a close second, though!
Hard to decide between Tree and Corpse pose–one is uplifting and the other so relaxing!
i love dancer and wheel because they really open me up and make me feel strong!
I love handstand! My favorite pose is an amazing hip stretch on my yoga DVD but I don’t know what it’s called.
Tree pose!
I heart tree pose. It makes me feel so peaceful, strong, and balanced. Pigeon pose is also another fav.
Downward facing dog!
child’s pose. haha. i know that sounds like a cop out BUT i use that pose even when i’m not working out and just need to stretch out my back. although, i do love warrior.
I don’t have a favorite! But my spine is especially bendy, so I can play with chakrasana quite a bit.
I love the pigeon pose for sure. Glad you are taking some time off. It’s so hard to make yourself do it but definately worth it to prevent further injuries.
Downward dog– so good for runners!
Shoulder stand! It’s a great way to hang out 🙂
My favorite is crow–it is always challenging but feels great once I’m in it!
Hi Gina,
It’s hard to pick one when i luurrrvvee all asanas. I am going to pick ‘plough’
as it was one of the 1st asana i mastered as a kid….so it’s close to my heart. 🙂
Rest that knee…maybe u can catch up on walking the pups on the trail.
Hope u feel better soon. 🙂
I want to have a favorite yoga pose! I have never tried yoga, but have wanted to. The problem is, there are so many dvd’s out there and it’s overwhelming!
I love wheel pose…makes me feel strong and flexible!
Also, my boyfriend called to tell me he was in some small Georgia town near Florida for some training with the Air Force…turns out its your town. Maybe he’ll meet your pilot down there! 🙂 Completely understand about the hours…he called last night at 2:30am when they finished debriefing…yuck!
what?! what does your bf do?? maybe he’ll meet my husband 🙂
He’s in the Army…they’re there for a week doing some training with a group of pilots! He laughed when I told him I knew of Valdosta from a blog that I read. 🙂 If your pilot is working with some Army folks this week let me know so he can say hi!
HE IS!!! he worked with some on his flight last night. tell him my husband’s call sign is peta 🙂
Wow…small small world!!! I’ll pass it along and tell him to say hi!
I’ve only done it a few times but I like downward facing dog. Has anyone tried Jillian’s new yoga dvd?
Pigeon.
I have on-going hip problems, and pigeon stretches me sooooooo good.
Happy Healing! You will be even stronger and probably feel refreshed after you rest…You are so dedicated maybe an injury is the only way your body would ever get some time off…I can relate…severe shin splits that were almost stress fractures slowed me down a few years ago!
I have been doing yoga for 5 years or so and done lots of poses but for some reason Warrior II makes me feel fierce!!! It is so stable and I feel like not even a sumo wrester could knock me down! I suggest that everyone start their day with a little Warrior II! Ha!
Hang in there while you heal! Thanks again for the blog it is so fun to read!
G- You would be an awesome yoga isntructor! I hope you start a class in Valdizzy.
thank you!
hahah i tried teaching yoga once at the base gym. it was a disaster 🙂
It’s hard to pick! I have to go with an old standby though. I try and squeeze some yoga in every morning, and downward facing dog feels SO UNBELIEVABLY good when you’re all stiff from sleeping or running the day before. So good.
Aw, Gina! It’s gonna be tough, but your body will thank you for the rest. Trust me, I know how hard it is sometimes to take your own advice 🙂
I love tree pose. I’m really short and it makes me feel tall and statuesque!
I love me a good pigeon pose being held for at least ten minutes. As my instructor says, it feels “yummy”… when you’re out of it! Great giveaway!
Tree pose is my favorite!!
I know that you get hundreds of comments and probably don’t have time to read them all but I just wanted you to know that I NEEDED this post SO badly!!! I just got off of the phone with my doctor about my stress fracture. It’s in major pain and they won’t listen to me.. they just keep saying “let’s wait a few months and see if it gets better” and tell me to continue with physical activity when it hurts to just WALK or stand up!! Call me crazy but that doesn’t make sense to me… anyway, I’ve determined that the best thing I can do is to just rest, completley, and maybe that will help. It’s hard to accept but like you said, it’s better to rest NOW than have this turn into a life-time injury.
Best of luck with you and your knee!
amen, girl.
REST it up. for a doc to say keep going even though it hurts is ridiculous
hope you heal up 100% soon
There is something so soothing about plow pose. Get better soon!
My fave pose = PIGEON! Hurts so good!
very hard to decide!! id have to go with half moon since its the one i do the most randomly! also love warrior three that stretches the leg and tones the back and challenges your balance!
have a great day gina and stay positive- i know how hard rest can be, i destroyed my knee last year and continued to work out and then literally could not put any weight on my knee it was so extremly painful. time off is exactly what i needed, and it will fly by fast 🙂
I love yogadownload. My favorite yoga pose is half-pigeon. I admire your commitment to your body and its natural healing process! Keep it up.
what a wonderful giveaway!! recently, i’ve been thinking a lot about going further into yoga mostly because i think it’s what my body has been trying to tell me if only i would slow down a little bit more to listen to it 🙂 my favorite pose is downward dog. it makes me feel incredibly centered.